Cooling tower



oct. 6,1925.y 1,555,827

E. BURHORN COOLING TOWER Filed July '7, 1921 l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PatentedOct. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES i rassen PATENT ortica.

EDWIN BURHO'RN, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

CGOLING TDWER.

Application led July 7, 1921.

. that is to say, an apparatus of the class by which natural aircurrents are brought into contact with the'water to be cooled, thelatter being caused to pass by gravity through the tower while subjectedto the cooling influence. More especially the invention relates to theclass of cooling tower in which the descent of the warm water isinterrupted and delayed by means of one or more structures or coolingdecks arranged at various points in the height of the tower for the purose of preventing a too rapid passage of t ie water and failure tosuiiiciently cool the same.

The general object of the present invention is to improve the structureof cooling towers of the kind referred to. A particular object is toprovide a cooling tower of 4 greater durability and more free fromcorrosion. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear inthe hereinafter following description or will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art.

To the attainment of the above referred to objects and advantages, thepresent invention consists in the novel combination, arrangements,constructions, devices and other features shown or described herein.

ln the accompanying drawings showing one form or embodiment of theinvention,

Figure l is ya side elevation of a coolingA tower embodying myinvention, the same partly broken away and certain parts omitted to moreclearly show the structure.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevation, partly in vertical section, ofcertain details of Fig. 1

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 3 3v of Figs. 1 or 2;

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Figure 5 is a side elevation taken at right angles to the elevation ofFig. 1; and

Figure 6 is a partial plan view, partly in horizontal section, on theline 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Serial No. 483,11 1.

Above a suitable supporting base 9 are the tower uprights or cornerposts 10 and these, at the top, are interconnected bythe cross braces11. Along each of the four sides may be a series of louvers 12, althoughthese are mostly omitted from the drawings to give better view of thedetails. The water falling through the tower, and that delivered fromthe louvers is received in a collecting pan 14 from which a drain pipe15 conducts the water to the condenser orother apparatus. After lthewater has been again heated it may be returned to the apparatus by apipe 16, which carries it to a distributing cross pipe 17 at the top,supported by brackets 18, and having apertures 19 serving as orifices todischarge the water in the form of sprays upon or into the distributingmembers or troughs of the topmost deck 21 below.

- may be other decks 22, 23 or 24, spaced suitably apart so that thedescending water is caught and distributed by each deck and delayed inits descent so as to insure maximum cooling by contact with natural aircurrents and by evaporation.

The several cooling decks may be of substantially identicalconstruction, but preferably the distributing members or troughs in eachdeck are arranged crosswise or at right angles to those of the decksabove or beneath.

Referring to the structure of any one of the decks, it will be seen thatit is supported by underlying channels or beams 26 constituting part ofthe framework of the tower, and havin upper flanges 27 upon which thedeck mem ers directly rest.

The distributors or troughs 28 are shown arranged horizontally inparallel relation in each deck, and slightly spaced apart. Each troughis provlded with overow notches 29 so that the accumulating water willpass out of each trough at designated points in relation'to thedistributing members of the deck beneath, for example into one of thetroughs beneath.

In such cooling towers there has been a long known and decided problemin respect to the deterioration of the louvers and troughs and theexpense involved in their frequent replacement. Theoretically sheet ironis the ideal material for these parts because of'its strength andcheapness. Corrosion however takes place, due largely to the peculiarconditions existing in 'a cooling tower. The inherent action in alcooling tower is to permit natural air currents to pass through thetower for evaporating and cooling the water. The combined action of thewarm water and air is to oxidize or rust the iron and frequently thiscorrosion is accentuated, due to the fact that the water takes up acidswhich are frequently present in the air, for example, from smoke stacksin the neighborhood of the cooling tower. Galvanized iron has been triedbut its life is short and its replacement frequent. Zinc gives a longerlife, but is more expensive and even this materialdeteriorates withconsiderable rapidity. lSo pronounced has this evil been that frequentlythe destructible parts of the tower have been made of wood. Besides thewarping and otherl defects of wood it is found that it rots rapidly, sothat its life is not substantially better than inthe other cases.

I herein propose to employ a non-corrosible alloy having a largepercentage of` zinc, but in a different manner from the heretoforeattempted use of zinc for the purpose. It is to be understood that the'posts, beams and other heavy parts of the tower are composed ofstructural steel or iron as usual. The resultl of embodying zinc or analloy for the louvers, troughs, etc. is that a decided electrolyticaction sets up. What with the presence of the warm water, frequentlyacidiied, for example, by acids in the air, and the two distinctivemetals, the cooling tower becomes a galvanic battery, so that thenatural corrosion of metals is very greatly enhanced.

In the present invention I employ a noncorrosible metal or alloy for thetrou hs and louvers and I connect these up with thev frame members ofthe tower by connections comprisin insulating strips or layers so as topreclu e electric-al or metallic contact between any two metal partscomposed of different metals. By this improvement the life of a coolingtower is multiplied many times and I believe with this invention I amthe first to overcome the long existing liability to deterioration ofcooling towers.

Referring in detail to the present structure the louvers 12 and thetroughs or distributing members 28 are composed of a non-corrosiblealloy, I prefer a metal containing a large percentage of zinc such asthe Matola metal which I have already successfully used in thisinvention, which is not subject to rusting ordeterioration in ordinaryconditions, but which would be subject to electrolysis if that actionwere permitted.

Between the cross beams or channels 26, of structural steel, and theoverlying troughs 28 of zinc alloy are shown-insulattroughs are shownbolted down to the middle beams 35, the ends of the troughs being freefor expansion and contraction. This is considered a valuable subsidiaryfeature in that the tower is preserved from injury by the effects ofexpansion and contraction. In Figs. 1 and 4 the troughs are bolted downat their ends by boltsv36 to the 'upper flanges of the cross beams 26,this being sufficient in some cases, especially when room for expansionis provided as will be clear from Fig. 4. In Fig. 5 there will be nobolts at the ends of the troughs but bolts 37 hold the trough down uponthe cross beams 35. In Figs. 1 and 4 the bolts 36 not only hold thetroughs in place but hold the insulating strips 33. In Fig. 5 separatehbolts 38. are provided to hold the insulating strips upon the crossbeams 26.

Each bolt may be provided additionally with a fiber washer 40 beneaththe head or nut of the bolt and sleeves 41 preventing the body of thebolt contacting the troughs.

As seen in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 each louver 12, com ed of zinc alloy, issupported diagonal y upon the opposite corner posts 10.

While the louver might be lian ed for this frame and the other flangegiving support to the louver. Between this flange and the louver is aninsulating strip or block 44. The parts are secured together by a bolt45 which is kept from contact with the louver by a washer 46 as in thecase of the troughs. The bolts 36 and 45 are preferably of galvanizediron and are not subject to rapid deterioration. f

I have thus disclosed a cooling tower embodying the principles andattaining the advantages of the present invention. The life ofthedescribed cooling tower is very much greater than any heretoforeknown. I claim broad novelty in the general principles and combinationsdisclosed and also specific novelty in the particular constructions andarrangements by which the principles are carried out. Since many mattersof combination, arrangement, construction and design may be variouslymodified without departing from the principles of the invention it isnot intended to limit the invention to such matters except so far as setforth in the appended claims. v`

TVhat I claim is:

l. A cooling tower having an iron frame, distributing members or watertroughs of non-rusting metal secured to said frame, and insulatingpieces interposed between said members and frame, said distributingtroughs being secured to underneath frame beams by bolt members passingthrough the trough bottoms, the insulating pieces and the beams.

Q. A cooling tower having an iron frame, distributing members or watertroughs of non-rusting metal secured to said frame, and insulatingpieces interposed between said members and frame, each distributingtrough being secured near its middle to the frame, leaving its ends freeto contract and expand.

3. A cooling tower having an iron frame, means for distributing thewater falling in the tower, a series of louvers of non-rusting metalsecured to the frame,- each louver being supported at its ends, ironangle pieces attached to the frame in position to support said louvers,insulating pieces between the angle pieces and louver ends, and means tosecure the same rigidly together.

4. A cooling tower comprising an iron frame having uprights, and ironmembers thereon for supporting a series of superposed water distributingdecks, and such decks, each comprising a plurality of distributingmembers of non-rusting metal, insulating pieces interposed between saiddistributing members and said iron supporting members, and securingbolts rigidly intei-connecting the distributing members, the insulatingpieces and the supporting members, a warm water connection to the upperpart of the tower, and a receiving vessel at the bottom.

A cooling tower as in claim 4 and wherein are series of louvers ofnon-rusting metal spanning the spaces between frame uprights, and meansrigidly connecting said louvers to the frame without metalliccontact.

VIn testimony whereof, I have afixed my signature hereto.

EDWIN BURHORN.

